PCM Heater Module for EV Battery Preheating During Regenerative Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face reduced range in cold weather due to battery management systems preventing regenerative braking, resulting in lost energy, as charging a cold battery pack with a surge of power can damage it, leading to inefficiencies in energy recovery.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system incorporating a heater module with phase-change material (PCM) and electric heating elements, which heats the PCM to store energy for later use, allowing for efficient energy recovery and battery charging even in cold conditions, thereby enhancing the vehicle's range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If regenerative braking is used to recover energy, then energy recovery efficiency is improved, but in cold weather the battery management system prevents charging, resulting in lost energy
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary heating of the battery pack using the heater module before enabling regenerative braking in cold weather conditions. This preliminary action raises the battery temperature to an acceptable range, allowing subsequent energy recovery without compromising battery safety
Solution Approach 2:
The heater module acts as an intermediary component between the thermal management system and the battery pack. It mediates the temperature conditions, creating a suitable thermal environment that enables both battery safety and energy recovery operations
2Productivity
If the battery pack is heated before charging, then energy recovery can proceed, but additional energy consumption is required for heating
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the normally wasted frictional energy during braking into useful thermal energy through regenerative braking, which then heats the battery pack. This transforms what would be lost energy into a beneficial heating source, eliminating the need for separate heating energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers kinetic energy that would otherwise be discarded as heat during braking. This recovered energy is then utilized to heat the battery pack, turning a waste product into a useful resource for enabling charging operations
3Duration of action of stationary object
If a heater module with PCM is used, then thermal energy can be stored for later use, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater module utilizes phase-change material (PCM) that undergoes phase transition between solid and liquid states to store and release thermal energy. This natural phase transition mechanism provides long-duration thermal storage without requiring complex active control systems, maintaining relative simplicity while extending duration of action
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively recovers energy during regenerative braking by heating the PCM, enabling efficient battery charging and reducing energy loss, thus improving the electric vehicle's range and operational efficiency in cold weather.
Implementation Method 1
a quantity of phase-change material in the PCM storage space and in contact with the plurality of thermal conductors
Implementation Method 2
the module housing of each of the plurality of heater modules has at least one of the at least one electric heating element positioned adjacent thereto for transmission of heat into the phase-change material
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of thermal conductors extending from the plurality of module coolant conduits into the PCM storage space
Implementation Method 4
a quantity of phase-change material in the PCM storage space, positioned to undergo heat exchange with the coolant in the heater coolant conduit system
Data Source
AI summary
In an aspect, a heater module is provided for a heater for a thermal management system for an EV. The module includes a housing having an inlet and an outlet, a module inlet header in fluid communication with the inlet so as to receive a coolant from the inlet, a module outlet header that is in fluid communication with the outlet so as to transport the coolant to the module outlet, a plurality of module coolant conduits extending between the module inlet header and the outlet header, wherein there is a PCM storage space defined in the housing between the module coolant conduits, thermal conductors extending from the plurality of module coolant conduits into the PCM storage space, and a quantity of phase-change material in the PCM storage space and in contact with the plurality of thermal conductors. The housing is positioned in engagement with an electric heating element.